Desperate Times is the twelfth episode of Season 5, and the sixty-fourth episode overall. It is the final episode of Sodor: The Early Years. This is part two of the Darkest Hour saga because the NWR is nearly in a scandal due to a rude Scottish news reporter talking at Knapford station about the railway's infrastructure.
Plot
Stock footage begins from Darkest Hour with the bridge collapse in the first place, Thomas saying that the railway is at an end, Ian's bad comments about the infrastructure of the railway and James talking about less passengers to Percy at Elsbridge. At the water tower, Thomas and Eric were talking about The Little Western's bridge collapse and the state of the passengers being less and less. With his guard arriving back in Clarabel, Thomas said bye to Eric and chuffed off. At The Little Western, Thomas arrived at the station and Duck collected his goods train after getting Charles West and his cameraman to talk with the stationmaster.
They had also talked about tonight's news report which the bridge collapse wasn't the railway's fault. At the yard, Douglas was collecting his slow goods and the lorry was stupidly late again with the director of Sodor Road Freight being very annoyed. With him storming off angrily, Douglas talked to Hugh the lorry and then the Scottish engine chuffed off with his slow goods. Thomas left his coaches in a siding and talked to James at the Coaling Plant. The talk of an orange lorry nearly got into a big fight, but Sheffield told them to stop. After this, James' fireman was ready for him to go and he talked to each engine, but to no description. Henry and Patrick talked about a container train blocking his Flying Kipper at Brendam. It was a total disgrace but one of the refrigeration units was not working and after all of that, Henry set off from Tidmouth Sheds.
At Knapford, The Fat Controller was in a meeting and Edward talked about the container with the stationmaster leaving a message for the Fat Controller. Henry chuffed away with his passengers and at Callan, The Fat Controller with an inspector and the director of Sodor Road Freight talked to Hugh about an incident at the bridge which was struck by the orange container but Hugh confessed about this due to the slippery road in the rain. Next day, the bridge then collapsed with Oliver surviving what happened. Douglas, Hugh and The Fat Controller suspected the director of not keeping lateness as a reason and he fled the scene nearly crashing his red BMW into Oliver.
After that police had raided some contrabands at a Sodor Road Freight's factory with the arrest of Mervyn Burns and the rest of his team for lying, the media stunt on The Fat Controller and contraband smuggling between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Charles West did help the NWR in good reputation with working back to normal and passenger services were back online. Freight evenly got into the business and with the bridge repaired, Douglas carried the first train across it. At Tidmouth Sheds, The Fat Controller gave out his speech for Christmas time. He said about the railway's responsibility and brilliance of detective work from Thomas, Henry, James and Patrick. Gordon also gave about what happened with the media at Knapford even Edward said it was a good job. Thomas joined the engines to cheer on The Fat Controller and the future of the railway was assured.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Duck
- Douglas
- Oliver
- Eric
- Sheffield
- Patrick
- Hugh
- Stephen Topham Hatt
- Mervyn Burns
- Inspector Davidson
- Ian (stock footage)
- Dulcie (stock footage; does not speak)
- Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
- Percy (cameo)
- Toby (cameo)
- Donald (cameo)
- Alice (cameo)
- Diesel (cameo)
- Daisy (cameo)
- Bear (cameo)
- Jeffery (cameo)
- Emily Helen Hatt (cameo)
- Richard Topham Hatt (cameo)
- Helena Margaret Hatt (cameo)
Trivia
- WildNorWester's message was to thank everyone for their support, watching and making the entire series for him to end Sodor: The Early Years. WildNorWester also said about a feature-length for Sodor: The Modern Years called Winds of Change.
- Stock footage is used from Darkest Hour.
- This is the last episode of Sodor: The Early Years. This is also the last episode where WildNorWester voices Gordon and Sir Stephen Topham Hatt. Generations113 and AFB take over those respective roles from Winds of Change onwards.
- The logo on the container when Hugh crashes into the bridge is for 'Universal Exports'. In the Ian Fleming novels, this is the name of the dummy company set up by MI6 to provide cover for their agents, including James Bond 007.
Goofs
- Eric's voice is hard to hear.
Voice Actors
- WildNorWester as Duck, Douglas, Inspector Davidson, Sir Stephen Topham Hatt, Mervyn Burns, Gordon and Ian
- Joe Gibbons as Thomas
- Jinty1798 as Oliver
- Tenshine1 as Hugh
- Edward Tear as James
- NWR1991 as Sheffield
- Bulletflash01 as Eric
- TheScotsmanReturns as Henry
- Eugene Yu as Patrick
- EpicThomasFan713 as Edward
Gallery
Episode
